Gronkowski broke his forearm against the Colts last November while on the field with the extra-point protection unit. He had a plate inserted to help strengthen the recovering bone.

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He got clearance to return to practice toward the end of the regular season, and played a limited role in the Patriots’ Week 17 win over Miami. But two weeks later, when the Patriots hosted Houston in the AFC divisional round, Gronkowski dived to pull in a sideline pass, landed on the left arm, and broke it again.

This time the bone fractured at the point where the initial plate ended. Doctors called it a freak occurrence.

Then during Super Bowl week, Gronkowski and his large black cast were photographed from Radio Row in New Orleans to a bar in nearby Baton Rouge to a nightclub in Las Vegas, where he infamously wrestled shirtless.

The cast has come off, but now Gronkowski is recovering again after
the latest procedure.

The ESPN report said the infection was caught early enough that Gronkowski was not expected to miss “any extended time” and that he would be ready by training camp.

The surgery was probably the reason Gronkowski pulled out of his NFL Network appearance to interview stars during the Oscars red carpet show.